Personal Protective Equipment Use and Safety Behaviors Among Farm Adolescents: Gender Differences and Predictors of Work Practices

Background: Agriculture remains the most important occupation in India and upper limb injuries occur frequently in agricultural accidents. Agriculture related injuries are important causes of mortality and morbidity in all age groups. These injuries result in major physical and psychological impacts as well as economical burdens. Objectives of the study was to study the pattern and epidemiological basis of agricultural hand injuries, to analyse the prognosis and recovery pattern of agricultural hand injuries in terms of return to work following treatment and to suggest measures for prevention of agricultural hand injuries.Methods: The study was a descriptive study conducted in the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Thanjavur medical college from October 2012 to April 2017. About 220 patients admitted with agricultural upper limb injuries were evaluated. Data on age, sex, injury patterns, anatomical localizations, injury season, length of stay in the hospital, and infections were evaluated.Results: Agricultural upper limb injuries constituted about 11.25% of total upper extremity trauma. Males were more commonly affected than females. Majority of the patients were in the age group 21-50. Most of the patients were right handed individuals. Hand injuries were more common (73%).Conclusions: We can reduce agricultural upper limb injuries by shielding the rotating components of farming machinery that cause injuries, informing and educating farming families, forbidding the entrance of children to areas with agricultural machines, providing information about agricultural accidents and their prevention methods, and adjusting the working hours of farming personnel, especially in the hottest months of the year.

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“…Most of the agriculture related injuries are experienced by males. 7 In our study 83.64% patients were males.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 44%

A clinical and epidemiological study of upper limb injuries resulting from agricultural accidents

et al. 2017

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“…Gendered risk perceptions have been reported in previous research conducted in South Africa (Rother, 2005) and internationally (Barraza et al, 2011;Cabrera and Leckie, 2009;Norgaard, 2007;Peres, 2007;Reed et al, 2006), as well as for PPE compliance (Cabrera and Leckie, 2009;Reed et al, 2006). These studies predominately found that social constructions of gender were associated with potential exposures differences between males and females, and that males were more likely to engage in behaviours perceived as risky.…”

Section: Complexity Of Factors Impacting Ppe Compliancementioning

confidence: 67%

“…Themes were based on studies of PPE compliance (Feola and Binder, 2010;Forst et al, 2006;Hunt et al, 1999;Peres, 2007;Reed et al, 2006), pesticide use risk perception (Arcury et al, 2002;Barraza et al, 2011;Horlick-Jones and Prades, 2009;Naidoo et al, 2010;Norgaard, 2007;Palis et al, 2006;Rother, 2005), and the findings from the fieldwork and questionnaires (e.g. the emerging social and cultural categories associated with workers' perceptions of herbicide risks).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…influences on workers' willingness to use PPE) (Palis et al, 2006). Specifically, worker's compliance has been shown to be influenced by their and others pesticide risk perceptions (Feola and Binder, 2010;Norgaard, 2007;Peres et al, 2007;Rother, 2005), the social environment (Ríos-González et al, 2013), gendered roles (Atreya, 2007;Barraza et al, 2011;Norgaard, 2007;Peres, 2007;Reed et al, 2006;Rother, 2005) and workers' tendency to conform to perceived peers practices (Feola and Binder, 2010;Hunt et al, 1999;Peres, 2007). In this article we present findings from the South African herbicide use context highlighting key factors that impact on workers' PPE compliance behaviours.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

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Chemical exposure reduction: Factors impacting on South African herbicide sprayers' personal protective equipment compliance and high risk work practices

Andrade‐Rivas

Rother

2015

Environmental Research

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The high exposure risks of workers to herbicides in low- and middle-income countries is an important public health concern because of the potential resulting negative impacts on workers' health. This study investigated workers' personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance as a risk mitigation measure; particularly workers who apply herbicides for Working for Water (WfW) - a South African invasive alien vegetation control programme. The study aim was to understand workers' low PPE compliance by analysing their risk perceptions of herbicide use, working conditions and socio-cultural context. Research methods included ethnographic observations, informal interviews, visual media, questionnaires and a focus group. Study results indicated that low PPE compliance persists despite workers' awareness of herbicide exposure risks and as a result of the influence from workers' socio-cultural context (i.e. gender dynamics and social status), herbicide risk perceptions and working conditions (i.e. environmental and logistical). Interestingly, teams comprised of mostly women had the highest compliance rate. These findings highlighted that given the complexity of PPE compliance, especially in countries with several economic and social constraints, exposure reduction interventions should not rely solely on PPE use promotion. Instead, other control strategies requiring less worker input for effectiveness should be implemented, such as elimination and substitution of highly hazardous pesticides, and altering application methods.

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“…Little is reported in the occupational health and safety literature about the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by adolescents, and what does exist focuses mostly on agricultural settings [Knobloch and Broste, 1998;Curwin, 2002;Schenker et al, 2002;Reed et al, 2006] in which relatively few adolescents are employed [National Research Council. Committee on the Health and Safety Implications of Child Labor, 1998].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teen workers' exposures to occupational hazards and use of personal protective equipment

Runyan

Vladutiu

Rauscher

et al. 2008

American J Industrial Med

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Personal Protective Equipment Use and Safety Behaviors Among Farm Adolescents: Gender Differences and Predictors of Work Practices

Cited by 42 publications

References 20 publications

A clinical and epidemiological study of upper limb injuries resulting from agricultural accidents

A clinical and epidemiological study of upper limb injuries resulting from agricultural accidents

Chemical exposure reduction: Factors impacting on South African herbicide sprayers' personal protective equipment compliance and high risk work practices

Teen workers' exposures to occupational hazards and use of personal protective equipment

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